Chaton
by Tatsurou-san
Summary: When an accident with an Akuma leaves Chat Noir in the body of a half grown black cat, he's going to have his paws full trying to get things fixed. As long as he doesn't get too distracted with new discoveries, that should be easy, right?
1. Chapter 1

Chat Noir stared up at the car bumper rapidly approaching his skull, his four legs locked, his tail upright, his eyes wide, his ears flat against his skull, and his fur standing on end. _So this is how I meet my end?_ he thought silently as the bumper came closer and time seemed to slow. _Not fighting an Akuma, or battling Hawk Moth, or even as Adrien Agreste…but getting run down in the middle of the street while not even in my own body…_

As the bumper came closer, his mind went back to how this had come to pass. It had been such an ordinary day…

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Adrien sighed inwardly as his photographer once more became more and more insistent about poses, expressions, and all the little details that marked the difference between a successful photo shoot and a failure. It seemed like the daily grind would wear away at Adrien yet again, with nothing interrupting it. As the photographer turned to argue with 'the Gorilla' – as Adrien thought of his driver/bodyguard – about being too close and interfering with the photoshoot, Adrien let his hair fall slightly in front of his eyes to hide his frustration. "Sheesh…having me strut around like a peacock like this…wish he could get some idea what it felt like…"

Right in front of his eyes, blasts of magical energy shot down from the sky. 'The Gorilla' was transformed into a genuine gorilla – Adrien had to glance twice to make sure there was a change – and the photographer was transformed into a strutting peacock.

"Huh…" Adrien murmured as he stared. "Maybe I should make idle wishes more often…" As the pair started to panic, Adrien turned to see where the magic had come from, only to wince.

As he'd expected, someone had been Akumatized, but it wasn't an adult or even a teenager as he might have hoped. At best, he estimated the little boy to be five years old, garbed in a dark blue and violet uniform that looked like Animal Control, but furrier. As Chat Noir, Adrien always hated when he and Ladybug had to fight little kids who had been transformed. Not only did it feel wrong to be trying to beat up a little kid, but the younger the Akumatized person the more potent their magical abilities tended to be. Case in point, as the floating boy waved his baton and sent a blast of energy arcing upward before splitting, raining down on more people, turning them into animals.

Adrien managed to roll out of the way of the blast aimed for him, only for his eyes to widen as the blast arced towards him, only to dissipate against the bench he'd been posing on. "Homing magic, too?" he grumbled as he ran for it, seeking a safe place to transform. He had to be more careful than he had been before, as any animal he saw – or saw him – could actually be a human, and thus would learn his secret identity.

Finally, he found a safe place. "We're going to have to be extra careful here," he told the small cat-like fairy creature that flew out of his jacket at his beckon. "There's no telling what could happen if we get hit by that magic while transformed."

"We're going to have to buy time, too," Plaag responded as he stretched, flying around his partner. "I can't sense Tikki anywhere, so she's probably far enough away it'll take Ladybug awhile to even learn this is happening, let alone get here."

"So we have to keep him here, then?" Adrien grumbled irritably. "This is going to be fun. Plaag, claws out!"

One overblown transformation sequence that always felt a minute long but passed in a split second later, Chat Noir spun his baton as he was once more garbed in the black leather cat suit of the Black Cat superhero. He always felt so much more natural – so much _freer_ – like this than as Adrien. "Pity I can't be like this all the time," he found himself muttering as he leapt for battle.

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He didn't really remember much of the battle. He remembered that the boy – calling himself Human Control, and stating he was going to turn people into animals to prove that animals were people too – had tried to turn his magic on him, and he'd tried to use his Cataclysm to counteract it. Then there was an explosion of light.

When he came to, his head was foggy, and he ached all over from the tips of his ears to the pads of his paws to the tip of his tail…

And then he'd freaked.

He was pretty sure that the visual would have been hilarious to look at from the outside as a tiny, ragged, half grown black cat yowled and rolled around, pawing at itself. From his perspective, however, it was rather terrifying.

 _I'm a cat? I'm a freaking cat? What the hell just happened? Plaag? Where are you?_ When he got no response, he paused. _Okay…I can't talk, I should have realized that. But shouldn't Plaag be able to track me by the ring…_ It was at this point he'd realized he didn't have the ring. It wasn't on his paw, or hanging around his neck, or on his tail…or anywhere else. _Wait…I didn't have the ring when Reflekta transformed me…I'm still Chat Noir! Merde!_

 _Okay, keep it together kitty. All you need to do is find Ladybug and convince her that I'm Chat Noir, and then…what?_

As he thought this through, he heard people talking.

"Sorry I didn't make it in time, Mayor Bourgeois. I was at the other end of the city when I got the alert about what was happening…"

That voice? Ladybug! Chat quickly rushed towards the source, seeing Ladybug speaking with the Mayor.

"Well, even superheroes can't cross miles instantly," the Mayor allowed genially. "Still, no harm done, right? The villain was dealt with, the transformation reversed…"

"I'm afraid it's worse than that," Ladybug explained. "I wasn't able to deevilize the Akuma. While everyone turned into an animal was changed back, the Akuma got away."

The Mayor frowned. "You mean…like that first one?"

"Yes, like with Stoneheart," Ladybug explained. "Akuma duplicates will spread, creating an army of copies of this…Human Control. And I won't be able to track down the original unless and until it manifests again, and we have the army on the march."

"This is…not pleasant news," the Mayor grumbled, frowning in worry.

"Don't worry, Mayor. I'll be on constant alert," Ladybug promised. "And so will Chat Noir…just as soon as I find him." After one last glance around, she launched her yoyo into the air and swung away.

 _My Lady! Wait!_ Yowling out in terror, he gave chase.

As he ran, he heard the Mayor speaking. "You don't suppose…no, Ladybug said all the humans were changed back…"

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 _Obviously, not all,_ Chat thought to himself as the bumper continued to approach. _Probably the enchantments the baton had laid before it exploded were reversed, but the blast of magic forced my transformation. Dammit, I really should have waited for Ladybug. And that was just the start…_

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Chat Noir did not have a good day. Chasing Ladybug proved an exercise in futility, as a half grown cat running on the streets couldn't hope to keep up with a superhero swinging from the rooftops. Eventually, he ran out of breath and could only watch her swing away without him.

 _Alright, Chat, you can do this,_ he thought silently. _You just need to survive as an alley cat long enough to convince Ladybug that you're you…when you have no idea who she is behind the mask. Maybe that's not the best approach…_ He thought about his other options. _I could instead try to convince someone I know that I'm Adrien…that could work. But who?_

He began to pace back and forth as he mentally went over his options. _Nathalie? …no, she's all business. Once she's sure I'm out there somewhere and not an animal – and Ladybug's declaration would do that – she'd ignore anything but finding me…which, ironically enough, would mean ignoring any sign I was giving that I was right in front of her. Same with the Gorilla. And I can forget even managing to reach my father like this._

 _Nino? Well, I might be able to reach him, but I have no idea if I could convince him. And even if I could…he lives really far away as the cat runs, and there isn't much he could do to help me. Well, he could get in contact with Alya, and she could use Ladyblog to try and get through to Ladybug. Alternatively, I could try to get through to Marinette. That would help me the same way, getting through to Alya, and through Alya to Ladyblog and thus Ladybug._

 _Or I could try Chloe._ He paused at that thought. _I doubt I could convince her it was me. And if I could…well, I don't really want my condition broadcast to the entire city. Father would never let me leave the house again. So it's Nino, Marinette, or Alya-_

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud growl. _Or perhaps I should find something to eat first._ He glanced at his surroundings. He was in the middle of a busy street, on the sidewalk between a clothing store and a café. _Well, maybe I can beg something-_

A loud, high pitched barking rapidly coming closer cut off his thoughts. Turning, he saw a tiny, black and white Papillon puppy charging him. At least, he would have considered it tiny if he were normal sized. Presently, it out-massed him by a generous margin. With a yowl, he dashed away from the canine.

 _Could this possibly any more humiliating?_ he screamed out in his mind as he raced away from the canine. He lost all track of his surroundings as he raced away, eventually detouring into the street.

And then came the car.

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 _So this is how I meet my end?_ Chat Noir, Adrien Agreste, thought to himself as he closed his eyes. _With a bang and a whimper, and no one knowing. This sucks…_

He heard a horn blaring, felt arms wrap around him as he was pulled into something soft, and the world went end over end. "That was a close one, Minou," a warm, caring voice whispered in his ears. "Are you alright?"

 _Ladybug?_ he gasped out hopefully in his mind. The voice – and that nickname – couldn't be anyone else, could it? His eyes shot open and he looked up.

He saw blue-black hair and bluebell eyes, but not quite what he expected. No mask, and no red and black bodysuit. Still, it was someone he recognized. _Oh, Marinette. Well, that's good. It's amazing how similar they sound with my eyes closed._ He then blinked, and his eyes widened in shock. _Wait…MARINETTE dove in front of a car to pull me out of the way? She could be hurt!_ He immediately began squirming, trying to check her over for injuries.

Marinette chuckled as she stood up. "It's alright, Chaton. I'm fine…and so are you. Come on, let's get you something to eat and a warm bed. You need that after such a scare. My home's not far."

As he was carried off, Chat did his best to get himself comfortable in the grip…and did his best to not pay too much attention to what he was being held against. Alley cat he may be, but he was raised to be a gentleman! _Still, I suppose with how today began, it could have ended a lot worse…_


	2. Chapter 2

Chat Noir stared around him as Marinette carried him into the bakery. While he'd been here before quite a few times – both as Chat and as Adrien – it was very different this time. For one thing, he was being held close and carefully in a warm embrace that left him feeling truly cared for…for the first time since his Mom had…

He quickly banished those thoughts. He instead focused on the other major difference, the fact that the place was _huge_ from his present perspective.

"Mama! Papa! I'm home!" Marinette called out as she stepped in. "And I've…brought a guest."

"Oh, Marinette!" Mrs. Cheng called happily as she stepped out of the kitchen. "Welcome home. Who is your guest…?" Her voice trailed off, and she frowned as she stared at Marinette's passenger. "Marinette, we've had these talks about pets…"

"Oh, I don't mean to keep him, Mama," Marinette promised as she set Chat down on the counter. "But he nearly got hit by a car. I just meant to give him a warm meal and comfy bed, just for tonight. Please, Mama?" She turned a pleading expression on her mother.

 _Alright, I know my part here,_ Chat thought to himself. _If I'm going to stay here long enough to convince Marinette I'm Chat – or Adrien, whichever is easier – I need to win over her mother. Well, I know how to be charming. Guess it's time to try being adorable._ Stretching out on the counter, he sauntered up to Miss Cheng and nuzzled her hand. Almost unconsciously, she began rubbing the top of his head. Gently lifting himself against her chest, he nuzzled her cheek.

Mrs. Cheng let off a delighted giggle. "Quite the little charmer you've found!" she mused warmly.

 _Heh, even as a kitten I've still got it,_ Chat thought to himself. _The ladies can't get enough of me._ He felt his thoughts turn sad as he thought of the one lady he _wanted_ all over him-

"If only you had it so easy bringing home charming boys!"

"Mama!"

 _Right, need to be adorable now._ Setting himself down on the counter, he looked up at Miss Cheng, his eyes wide and his ears flat against his skull. He then let out a pathetic sounding, "Mew."

Mrs. Cheng all but melted. "Oh…alright," she relented. "But just for tonight, alright? And if your father says no when he gets back, he goes right out. Understand?"

"Yes, Mama," Marinette agreed, throwing her arms around her mother in a loving embrace.

As he watched the embrace be returned, Chat sighed internally. _I really shouldn't be jealous right now…but I am. I miss that…_

As they broke apart, Mrs. Cheng wrinkled her nose. "Make sure you take a shower before coming down to dinner, alright? Did you roll under a car or something?"

Marinette chuckled nervously. "Something like that." Turning, she scooped Chat into her arms and raced up to her room.

Once there, Chat hopped out of her embrace to take in his surroundings. _Alright…not much different than the last time I was here as Adrien…_ His thoughts trailed off as he noticed the framed pictures, wall posters, and computer wallpaper of Adrien Agreste. _Not…much different. Wow, is Marinette…obsessed with me or something?_ He glanced around at the pictures, looking from one to the other. _Then again, I'm not one to talk. My room's got at least as many images of Ladybug, and it's not like she has Adrien action figures._ His eyes fell on something he had not expected. _…but she apparently does have a handmade Adrien plushy on her bed. I'm…not sure how I should feel about that…_

Marinette chuckled. "Like it, Chaton?" she asked softly, lifting up the plushy. "I made it myself. I thought it would make it easier to actually get a word out when I spoke to him. I just get so tongue-tied…"

 _I wonder why that is, anyway?_ Adrien thought to himself as he walked over to nuzzle her. _I mean, you didn't seem to have a problem telling me off that first day when you thought I'd put gum on your seat…or telling off Chloe for anything similar ever since. In fact, it wasn't until the next day you started getting tongue-tied…_

Marinette sighed ruefully. "Sometimes love sucks," she grumbled, setting the plushy aside and cuddling him close. "I wish I could tell Adrien to his face how I feel…" She lifted him up into the air to stare into his eyes. "You get what I mean, right?"

 _Yeah, I get the same way with Ladybug whenever I'm not wearing the mask-_ Chat's thoughts stalled. _Oh…Marinette's in love with me. Wow. I…really should have noticed that a lot sooner, shouldn't I have? I guess it sort of makes sense…_

A giggle echoed through the room from Marinette's purse. "Am I getting replaced as a confidant?" a teasing, high-pitched voice called out as the purse opened itself up and a tiny red-and-black creature the size of a small squeak toy flew out and up to eye level.

"Of course not, Tikki!" Marinette promised warmly, setting Chat down to snuggle the little fairy-like creature, holding her to her face with one hand. "But it's not like he's going to tell anyone what he hears, right?" That got a giggle out of the fairy as Marinette offered her a cookie, which was eagerly taken and savored.

Chat stared, his eyes wide and his jaw hanging. _That's…that's a kwami_ , he thought bluntly, struggling to wrap his mind around it. _Kwamis only come from Miraculouses…and that one's got a ladybug pattern…_ His mind reeled from realization. _Marinette is Ladybug…Marinette is Ladybug…_ He struggled to gather his thoughts. _Well, this is all well and good. I've found Ladybug. I can convince her I'm Chat Noir – or Adrien – and she can change me back to normal. And then-_

His mind once more derailed. _Marinette is Ladybug…Marinette's in love with me…Ladybug's in love with me…_ Unable to think clearly anymore, he tumbled to his side, lying flat out on the bed.

Tikki burst into louder giggles. "Looks like you broke your new friend, Marinette!"

Marinette quickly turned and scooped Chat into her arms. "Are you alright, Chaton?" she asked softly.

Chat purred loudly as he nuzzled into the embrace. _Marinette is Ladybug, and she's in love with me and cuddling me and asking if I'm okay. I don't care if I am a cat; this is the best day of my life! Oh, today couldn't possibly get any better._

"Well, he's feeling better," Tikki giggled as Marinette set him down.

"Would you keep an eye on him for a bit, Tikki?" Marinette asked as she shrugged off her jacket. "I don't want him getting into anything, or getting out, or hurting himself."

"Sure thing, Marinette!" Tikki agreed happily as she settled on Chat's head between his ears. She then began to scratch him behind his right ear.

 _Okay, that is both very strange and…very nice,_ Chat purred thoughtfully. _Still, she doesn't need to watch me. I'll be the best behaved cat possible, and she'll want to keep me…at least until I convince her I'm not just a cawhy is she taking off her shirt?_ Chat's thoughts derailed completely as Marinette pulled her shirt off over her head, her back to him as her plain white bra was revealed. _Wait, she was told to take a shower. She's getting changed right in front of me?_ He felt his face heating up and his nose drying out as Marinette unclasped her bra without turning around, letting it fall to the floor with her shirt and jacket. _She's…wow. Okay, I shouldn't be looking. I'm a gentleman._ He tried to look away, but couldn't quite manage it as Marinette pushed her pink jeans down, letting them slide to her feet. _That's the girl I love! I should not be perving on her like this!_ _Now I'm going to turn away and not look-_

And then Marinette took hold of her panties and pushed them down, bending over as she stepped out of her clothes completely. Chat's brain failed completely, and he tumbled to the side.

"Umm…Marinette?" Tikki asked worriedly. "Is it normal for cats to get nosebleeds?"


	3. Chapter 3

When Chat returned to awareness, he felt himself being cradled gently in a warm, soft embrace. _Ugh…what happened?_ he thought to himself. _I was in Marinette's room – Ladybug's room – and then-_ His thoughts froze as he remembered what caused him to black out. _Right, Marinette was getting… Okay, note to self. If she starts getting undressed in the future, get to cover. The_ _ **last**_ _thing I need in all this is her thinking I'm some sort of pervert once I'm back to normal. Besides, if I act like a gentlecat, she might figure out I'm not a normal cat sooner._ He paused in his thoughts as he found himself purring. _Well, wherever I am, it feels good…_

"Well, it looks like the kitty's back to normal!" Tikki suddenly piped up. "Told you all he needed was a good scratch."

"That's a relief," Marinette breathed warmly, her exhalation tickling Chat's ear. "Are you okay now, Chaton?" she asked hopefully.

Chat immediately started purring louder. _Maybe showing strong reaction to her nicknames for me as Chat Noir will make her realize it's me?_

"He really seems to like that name," Tikki observed mirthfully. "Maybe you should call him that?"

"Well, if it gets him to come when I call him," Marinette allowed.

Chat blinked as he felt himself rising into the air. _Okay, I guess she's holding me then,_ he thought silently. _Well, I'm not going to complain-_ His eyes popped open as he caught sight of a pile of clothes on the floor next to the bathroom. _She…she's still naked…Mon Dieu…_

"Still, he smells pretty bad," Marinette pointed out, one bare arm moving up past Chat's vision as he felt himself clutched tighter to something…very soft. "Think he'll behave while I give him a bath, Tikki?"

Tikki giggled impishly. "I don't think he'll fight anything you do, Marinette," she observed idly, floating over to settle atop a picture of Adrien. "Go ahead and get him clean."

 _AAAAAAAAUUUGGGGHHHHHH!_

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 _Well…that was the single most mortifying experience in my life,_ Chat thought to himself as Marinette tied a ribbon around his neck. _Bathed by the girl I'm in love with…as a cat…while she's naked. Why is she making it so hard to stay a gentlecat?_

"You were very well behaved for your bath," Marinette praised gently. "Now, you just need to make a good impression on Papa, and you'll be able to stay here for tonight. That sounds good, right?" With the ribbon tied, she began rubbing his head affectionately.

 _Anything sounds good while you're petting me,_ Chaton thought as he purred from the caress. Once she stopped, he followed her down the stairs, glad she had gotten dressed again after the bath. _Okay, time to make a good impression on Mr. Dupain. That shouldn't be difficu…_ Chat once more found himself losing his thoughts as he caught sight of Marinette running up to hug her father. Unlike when she hugged her mother, his thoughts stalled for a completely different emotional reaction. _Wǒ cào, he's_ _ **huge!**_

Tom Dupain was a giant of a man even when looked at from the human perspective. That appearance was only amplified when one didn't even come up to his ankle. Chat let out a tiny, pathetic 'Mew' as he stared up at the imposing giant.

"And who's this little one?" Mr. Dupain asked as he bent over, gently picking Chat up in one hand and lifting him to eye level so he could get a better look at him.

"He nearly got hit by a car," Marinette explained softly. "I just wanted to give him a good meal and a warm bed to get him past the shock. Say he can stay, Papa, please?"

Seeing Marinette giving her father a pleading look, Chat got ahold of himself. _Alright, time to work my charm._ He looked up at Mr. Dupain, trying to determine the best way to win him over. He quickly noticed that the large man seemed to be glancing at him to avoid glancing at Marinette's pleading expression, and an idea struck him. _Perhaps 'charming' isn't what I should be going for…_

Standing up on the raised palm, he leapt to Mr. Dupain's shoulder. As the man chuckled from Chat's fur tickling his neck, Chat placed his paws into the man's hair, making sure to use his claws as little as possible as he clambered up until he could curl up atop the large man's head. He smirked smugly to himself as this brought laughter from everyone.

"Well he's certainly a friendly fella!" Mr. Dupain proclaimed warmly. Glancing down, he saw Marinette once more at her most adorably pleading. "Oh, alright! But just for tonight, okay?"

"Thank you, Papa!" Marinette proclaimed happily, throwing her arms around her father in a warm hug. "I promise, just for tonight!"

 _Success,_ Chat thought to himself, purring smugly. He already knew about the cat flap from Marinette's room to the roof, which would be a very easy way for him to extend his welcome simply by refusing to leave and always finding his way back in. As long as he didn't make a pest of himself or break anything, he'd be able to be here long enough to convince Marinette that he was Adrien – or that he was Chat Noir – and then she'd be able to change him back.

As he thought about it over a dish of food Marinette prepared for him – rather tasty, even if he did have to eat it off the floor – he decided that convincing her he was Chat Noir was the better option. On the one hand, she'd be less embarrassed about Chat Noir having seen so much and discovering her secret identity than she would be about Adrien Agreste – the boy she apparently _loved_ – seeing and discovering the same.

A sudden thought nearly made him choke. _Wait a minute…I don't have to convince Marinette. I could convince Tikki! She probably knows more about magic than either of us, since she's a kwami. And maybe she won't even tell Marinette about this, if only to spare her embarrassment. She could guide Marinette to use her Lucky Charm in my vicinity without explaining why…if I can get her to cooperate._

Having gone over it in his head, he decided he'd make the attempt to communicate with Tikki that night after Marinette was asleep. If it worked, he didn't want Marinette hearing it happen. If it didn't, he didn't want Marinette thinking 'Chaton' had a problem with Tikki.


	4. Chapter 4

Once dinner ended, Chat followed Marinette back up to her room, promptly burying his head under her covers as she started getting changed for bed. He got the impression from how they spoke that his arrival – and the extended bath time – had delayed dinner far later than normal, leaving the family without time for much before Marinette had to go to bed to be up in time for school the following morning. While Adrien locked on that as a possible way to inform Marinette of who he was if his current plan didn't work, it also worried him considering how many people would immediately realize he was missing.

Marinette chuckled when she saw Chat bury his head under the covers. "What a gentlecat," she teased playfully as she got changed. "Tikki, make sure he doesn't smother under there, won't you?"

Tikki giggled playfully. "Of course, Marinette!" she piped up, settling on Chat's back.

Chat waited patiently until Marinette got into bed, intending to use that as his opportunity to confront Tikki privately. _Once she's asleep,_ he thought to himself, _I'll just have to be quiet-whoa!_ His thoughts were interrupted as Marinette scooped him up into her arms, cuddling him close.

"Alright, Chaton," she spoke up gently. "You don't sleep in my bed. I've got a bed prepared for you."

Chat sighed in relief as he was settled in a pile of blankets on Marinette's desk. _At least this will make it easier to confront Tikki,_ he thought to himself as he curled up in the blankets. _I just need to keep my eyes open while I wait for her to turn the lights off, and then find Tikki-_

The lights flicked off as Marinette yawned. "Good night, Tikki," she got out through her yawn. "It's been…a long day…"

"Rest up, Marinette," Tikki offered warmly, pulling the blanket up over the young lady in bed. "You wore yourself out trying to find Chat Noir, and hunting the freed Akuma. You've earned your rest."

"Gotta…keep looking…" Marinette mumbled as she slipped into slumber.

Chat stared at Marinette worriedly. _…okay, embarrassment be damned. I need to find a way to tell her I'm right here and deal with the consequences of her realizing it was me all along. I can't leave her so frantic over me. Revelations aside, that's My Lady over there, worrying herself to exhaustion over me…_

"Rather touching, isn't it?" Tikki giggled softly in his ear. "All that teasing and taunting face to face, but when nobody's looking she cares so much." She floated over to in front of Chat. "But I can't believe you actually got a _nosebleed_! Plagg's never going to let you hear the end of that, you know."

Chat's eyes popped open. She…she knew? She knew! _Why didn't you say anything?_ He snarled as he lunged for Tikki, who simply shot up into the air so he landed harmlessly on the floor.

"I'll tell you as soon as you get control of your temper," Tikki teased.

Chat blinked in surprise. _You…you can understand me?_

"Nope!" Tikki responded teasingly. "Can't speak a word of cat! Plagg's the one who knows how to do that."

Chat swore sulfurously, it coming out as quiet growls and hisses.

"But I don't need to speak cat to know that was rude," Tikki replied with a giggle.

 _If you can't understand me, how do you know what I'm saying?_

"You're just very predictable," Tikki taunted playfully.

… _take a photo of spaghetti!_

"And that was an inside joke regarding something in your personal life in order to prove that I can't predict you," Tikki countered with a smug smirk.

Chat blinked in surprise. _Okay, how can you possibly know so much? How can you predict me so easily?_

Tikki giggled as she floated down in front of Chat. "Oh you silly…you act like you're the first Chat Noir this has happened to."

 _WHAT?_

Tikki giggled at the pole-axed expression on Chat's face. "Oh, no wonder you're going so crazy. Plagg didn't tell you about this, did he?" When Chat shook his head numbly, Tikki sighed. "Okay, I'll explain:

"There's a lot more built into the Miraculous than what you've used so far. And as you can imagine, that five minute time limit after using Cataclysm or Lucky Charm was really dangerous back in the past when our powers were used to deal with things a bit more complex and dangerous than 'monster of the day' type villains." Tikki watched as Chat nodded in understanding. "Not only that, the Miraculous _aren't_ the only source of powerful magic in the world, and magic interaction can create unpredictable effects. The Miraculous all have…safeties built in for such situations. I'm guessing you transformed after using Cataclysm on the Akumatized item while it was sending a spell your way?" When Chat nodded, Tikki smirked. "That caused a backlash of magic, feeding energy of the Cataclysm back into the Ring. To protect you, Plagg, and the Miraculous from the consequences of such things, the safety kicked in and you turned into a black cat of approximately the same maturity as you're at."

Chat blinked in surprise. _Wait…this was supposed to happen?_

"Yup!" Tikki confirmed. "And once it's been reversed this time, Plagg will be able to tell you how to trigger it deliberately. Of course, the only way to fix it this time is to use the Lucky Charm to repair the damage to your Miraculous…but I can't help you there."

 _What?_ Chat demanded angrily. _Why not?_

"For the same reason neither I nor Plagg told either of you that we were sensing each other every day in class at the school, Adrien," Tikki chided firmly, making Chat's eyes widen in shock. "We've known who each other's holders were since the first day, but we're as bound to protect _that_ secret as the secret of our own holder's identity, and our magical nature. So I can't help you tell her. I have to keep my mouth shut on this."

Chat sighed to himself, hanging his head. _Well, I'm back to square one there-_

"Oh, and since this form was meant for you to sneak around when you had to – such as to find a safe place to release Plagg to recharge him – it has a magical aura to conceal obvious connections to your true self," Tikki explained with a wide smirk. "You could spell 'I'm Chat Noir' in inky paw prints, and Marinette would only scold you for making a mess and not even see the message." She floated upward. "Good luck working around that!" With a last giggle, she floated over to curl up on Marinette's pillow.

Chat slumped over to his side. _This is going to be_ _ **so**_ _frustrating…_


End file.
